Aldara Meilan at the World Race Walking Team Championships (© Francesca Grana)
The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the women’s and men’s combined events and race walks at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
Women’s heptathlon
Based on PBs, Croatia’s Jana Koscak is head and shoulders above the rest of the field. But going by this season’s form, the Croatian appears to have a strong rival in the form of Hungary’s Sarolta Kriszt.
Koscak won the European U18 title in 2022, then one year later she set a heptathlon PB of 6293 – the best ever score by an U18 athlete with the senior implements. This year, the 18-year-old – who still has one more year left in the U20 ranks – has a best of 5977, set at the European Championships.
That puts her just 19 points ahead of Kriszt on this year’s world U20 list. The Hungarian finished second to Koscak at the 2022 European U18 Championships and will be keen to gain revenge.
Adela Tkacova of Czechia finished one place shy of the podium at the 2022 European U18 and 2023 European U20 Championships, so the 5695 performer will be keen to make the podium in Lima.
Other athletes to have scored in excess of 5500 this year – which could put them in the medal hunt – include Britain’s Eden Robinson, Switzerland’s Lucia Acklin, Germany’s Hilke Thamke, Poland’s Carmen Nowicka and Estonia’s Emma Kathrina Hein.
Men’s decathlon
The men’s decathlon looks set to be a battle between three men who are already no stranger to major championship podiums.
Germany’s Amadeus Graber won the European U18 title in 2022 then followed it with the European U20 title last year, scoring 8209 – the highest PB of the field in Lima.
But going by season’s bests, he is just third on the entry list behind Poland’s Hubert Troscianka, winner of the 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival who has this year set a PB of 8145, and Sweden’s Leo Goransson, who has a PB of 8057 and took European U18 silver behind Graber two years ago.
Should any of the three big favourites slip up, there’ll be plenty of athletes ready and willing to step up and compete for a medal, including Norway’s Jonathan Hertwig-Odegaard – who may have been inspired by the Olympic heroics of his compatriot Markus Rooth – and Germany’s Friedrich Schulze.
Women’s 10,000m race walk
Spain’s Aldara Meilan finished second at the World Race Walking Team Championships earlier this year, and in Lima she’ll be tipped to make it on to the podium again – perhaps even on to the top step this time.
Prior to taking silver at the World Race Walking Team Championships, she earned the same medal at the 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival and the 2023 European Race Walking Team Championships. Her PB of 45:06.75 makes her the fastest entrant by 50 seconds.
China’s Chen Meiling has a superior PB on the roads, having clocked 43:57 earlier this year, but she finished three places behind Meilan in Antalya earlier this year. Chen is joined on China’s team by Asian U20 silver medallist Baima Zhouma.
Italy’s Giulia Gabriele finished one place ahead of Chen in Antalya and should be in the medal hunt in Lima, as should Australia’s Alexandra Griffin, Hungary’s Alexandra Kovacs and Ethiopia’s Hiwot Ambaw.
Men’s 10,000m race walk
Australia’s Isaac Beacroft won the U20 men’s race at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya in sensational style. In Lima he will want to prove that his triumph in the Turkish city was no fluke.
His track PB, 40:44.47, is perhaps not truly indicative of his ability, given that he clocked 39:56 on the roads in Antalya. But it also suggests that Japan’s Sohtaroh Osaka – who was fourth in Antalya but has a track PB of 39:54.42 – will provide stiff opposition to Beacroft. Osaka is joined on the Japanese team by Taisei Yoshizako, a 40:39.33 performer.
Wang Jiaqi, a sub-40-minute race walker on the roads, is joined on the Chinese team by Song Zhaohe, both of whom have realistic medal ambitions, along with Mexico’s Emiliano Barba, Italy’s Giuseppe Disabato and Guatemala’s Bryan Alexander Matias Ortiz.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
